Never Iron Again: The $30 Steamer That Works

You iron one side, and flip it over only to find you’ve made new creases on the opposite side.

It’s supposed to iron with steam but it just ends up leaking all over your shirt when you’re trying to rush out the door.

It makes certain fabrics shiny, and you never know which ones will do it.

These are problems for every guy, but when I deal with multiple outfits a day when working on Primer articles these headaches are exponential.

So about six months ago I started looking for a steamer that would be quick to heat up, doesn’t squirt water, and is small enough to take with me on photo shoots.

As with everything, I began my search on Amazon. And in 30 seconds, I was done.

I came across the PureSteam handheld steamer with over 2,800 reviews and a 4 star average rating. I ordered it and called it a win.

However, I did have high expectations. Several years ago, a girlfriend of mine had a full size steamer from some place like Bed, Bath, and Beyond. That thing sputtered water and barely worked. Eventually it gave out completely.

The PureSteam showed up two days later (thanks Prime!) and I immediately put it to work on set for a Live Action Getup shoot. And you know what? It worked like a charm.

No, that doesn’t quite convey the effectiveness.

It literally ERASES wrinkles in front of your eyes. And not just “you didn’t hang up your shirt right out of the dryer” wrinkles. Like “brand new shirt Grand Canyon” creases. You can wear it right away too, so you can always wear your favorite shirt.

Check out what it looks like with just one pass on this new shirt from H&M:

Overall, I’m very happy with it. Occasionally a small wet spot will appear, this usually only happens if I don’t let the steamer fully heat up. It’ll start steaming around 45-60 seconds but I like to give it a minute and half to really get going. However, these dry very quickly because they’re just from the steam, not from water leaking.

Since getting it six months ago, I’ve used it 3-4 times per week. It’s perfect for refreshing an item that’s still clean but has acquired a few wrinkles like a shirt or chinos. If you’re a guy who wears really nice dress shirts every day and loves a super crisp collar, this steamer won’t do that. But for everyone else, I think you’ll love it.

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This is a classification for some of the products we’ve tested hands-on and feel they’re worth the money. Companies can’t pay for this distinction: The product we used must have met both the advertised promises and our expectations.

Andrew, You have literally saved the day/week/month/year for me my friend. I’m a frequent visitor of this site, I love the Getups and helpful tips but this my friend is by far my most anticipated purchase thus far! I absolutely despise ironing!! As always, thanks and keep up the good work!

I am very interested. Currently I dry clean but I’m looking to move away from spending my money there. Any tips for using this and keep the collar crisp? would have to be iron+steam?

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Hey Sean, I’d say it depends on the kind of shirt. On all my shirts, casual to casual-dressy, the steamer works great on the collar. If the collar is already stiff and supported, this will take the wrinkles out. If it’s just a cloth collar like on a casual shirt, this will also work. The only thing I don’t think it will do is remove a heavy curl on a stiffer collar, but now come to think of it I don’t know if I’ve tested that.

TMann

Awesome. I’m going to order one right now. Are there any clothing items or situations that don’t work as well for this (or any other) steamer? Something where it would be better to just pull out the iron?

browneagle44 ロベルト

Just ordered!

browneagle44 ロベルト

Dumb question- is it best to hang clothes while steaming, or laid on an ironing board?

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Hanging, if your lay them and turn the steamer over, the water will pour out.

skk0052

Just a heads up. If you order on Amazon through SKUniverse as the seller, you can use the promo code “STEAMR15” for $15 off.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Nice!! How’d you find that??

skk0052

Found it on slickdeals

Daniel

Just ordered for $15. You two dudes are the best.

Joey Buyske

Heck yeah!! Great deal. With an existing gift card balance this sucker was free today. Can’t wait to give it a spin! Thanks skk0052 (and Andrew!)

Chris Myhalsky

Awesome, just picked it up as well!

KATE

FYI, the code only applies to the white steamer, not the black…but hey, I can live with that 😉

Gatewood Brown

I used this as well, worked like a charm!

~classics~

Thank you for that! I just picked it up because of you. I have older big model steamer I used to use a lot but this seems perfect, especially for travel. Thanks

Rene Avalos

Sweet! Came out to $16.11. Thank you!

SMB

Awesome! Thanks for the Promo code! Just purchased, can’t wait!

Gator996

I bought this a few weeks ago. Funny that this is posted now. I used to iron every single day. I too had that big giant steamer. What a POS. This little thing is a beast. It keeps my suits nice and fresh and has saved me a fortune on weekly dry cleaning.

Gary Scribner

IIRC, ironing is very tough on fabric. I switched over to a steamer (although not this particular model) a few months ago and highly recommend it for anyone. I work in a professional field and wear button-ups every day. I take 5 minutes each night to run the steamer over my outfit for the next day and it works perfect. Great for chinos too.

Butch_Zee

I get a zen thing out of ironing. It’s one chore I don’t mind. I understand your frustrations though, Andrew. I know about that “rushing to go somewhere the iron just leaked on my shirt” thing haha. Get a Rowenta iron. I vouch for them and have no ties to the company.
That being said, I think I’ll pick up one of these steamers for touch up work. Someday I’d like to get one of those pants pressers but that’ll be the day when I can burn $300 without thinking twice.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Thanks for the rec! I’ll check it out. I too would love one of those pant steamers!

noe_garcia

I got really good at ironing – I just put my ear buds in, listen to some
of my favorite tunes, and space out while I iron my clothes for the
week. It got the point where its almost therapeutic but I must say that
steamer looks pretty nifty!

Danny

Bought this exact steamer about a month ago. Couldn’t agree with your assesment more. I’m literally saving hours that would be spent ironing. It won’t work with thicker fabrics (chinos etc), but that’s hardly a dmaning complaint.

Ashwin

Bought this iron a few months ago and took to a wedding in Asia. I used it for everything including the groom’s suit and my own. It worked wonderfully and i look forward to using it on my shirts/pants at home.

Justin

Hey Andrew,

I noticed the second button from the top is unbuttoned in the steaming demonstration. Is that part of the steaming technique?

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Hey Justin, nope that doesn’t help or hurt.

browneagle44 ロベルト

My steamer got dropped off yesterday, annnnnd-it’s kind of addictive. I did a week’s worth of clothes in under half an hour. You have to refill it about every 2 1/2 shirts, and pants can be a pain depending on the fabric, but overall, I approve! Wish I had bought this sooner.

My biggest pain with ironing is sleeves, for some reason- I can never get them to look good. This helped out a lot.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Nice!!! So glad you like it too!

Spencer Jenkins

I’ve had this same model for about a year and I absolutely love it. It takes me 2 minutes to get a shirt ready for work. It’s amazing.

Nick C

Looking forward to using this steamer!
Q: do you need to use distilled water (like some irons recommend)?

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

It’s not as necessary, but it will help with longevity if your area has hard water.

~classics~

Don’t just think this is for clothing! This will work perfectly on curtains in your house. Don’t even have to take them down.

Martin Tran

Tried it on a denim button up shirt. Not bad. Tried it on my girlfriend’s apron, ehhhhh ironing is much faster at getting that crisp finish. I’d recommend this for anything no thicker than a denim shirt or an Oxford from F&O.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Interesting! I use mine on denim all the time, especially the knees.

Jesse

This is why i love this site. also thanks to skk0052 for sharing the great deal.

Steve Kearney

So I travel for work a lot, meaning my shirts get ironed 1-2x a week. Not only is it time consuming but slowly I feel like my clothes are being damaged. I bought this 2 days ago and can’t even express the simplicity of this device! The compact size is a huge plus as I can throw it in my bag and have it at every hotel, thank you!!

asdfa

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Adams Tegeler

Picked this up in black the other day for $10 off – Amazon Lightning Deal. Would have shared, but there was less than an hour when I saw it. Works well – just make sure you keep plenty of water in it.

disgussingdisqus

agree so hard with this. i had a hand steamer for a while, but it was never all that convenient. but in working retail, and using a full size steamer on a regular basis, it’s exceptionally easy to never want to iron again.
but this one is for real. heats up instantly. doesn’t sputter as long as you give it a proper chance to settle. and it just does its job.
cord has a nice long length, which provides the mobility needed to work over a garment. and the tank is usually good enough to get through a top and bottom before refilling.

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